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Dr Wayne Sotile, PhD, to Keynote PCNA 19th Annual Symposium

Dr Wayne Sotile, PhD will keynote the PCNA 19th Annual Symposium, being held at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel from May 2-4, 2013. Dr Sotile is a well-known motivational speaker on cardiac and health psychology. He is the founder of Sotile Psychological Association and Real Talk, Inc, Dr Sotile serves as a clinical assistant professor at the Tulane University of Medicine and special consultant in behavioral health for the Carolinas Health System.

  
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In a recent interview, Dr Sotile addressed what brought him to focus on the stress that is experienced by the health professional. "(I) learned to appreciate the unique joys and stressors that come with working as a healthcare professional. Our patients need us at our best, and we need good work to have the best lives we can have."

 

Dr Sotile has authored 9 books, including Thriving With Heart Disease (2003), which takes a stepwise approach to coping and coming out stronger after being diagnosed with heart disease. Another book, entitled Letting Go of What's Holding You Back (2007), focuses on lessons learned by those who have attained peace. Dr Sotile describes that "'letting go' is about curbing those self-defeating ways of thinking and behaving that distort our view of uplifts that are constantly available. It's worth learning to do; happier people are more effective in their life roles."

 

Attend his presentation on Saturday, May 4, at PCNA's 19th Annual Symposium in Las Vegas (May 2-4, 2013).

 

Supertracker: A Way to Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day

The National Nutrition Month theme for March 2013 is "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day." Sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), this year's goal is to encourage people to personalize healthy eating styles while acknowledging that one's lifestyle, food preferences, health concerns, along with ethnic and cultural traditions all impact food selections. Recognizing that informed food choices go hand-in-hand with healthy eating and physical activity, the organization's Web site provides a library of "Eat Right Nutrition Tips" at http://www.eatright.com.

 

Supersize portions continue to be a problem. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than one-third (35.7%) of Americans are now obese (defined as a body mass index of >=30 kg/m2). Non-Hispanic blacks are disproportionately affected by obesity (49.5%). The Center for Disease Control Web site and the Office of Minority Health notes that 4 of 5 African American women are either overweight or obese, putting these women of minority at greater risk for the development of heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancers (http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov).

 

African American celebrity Star Jones recently brought attention to these issues by convening a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation panel on black women and obesity in the fall of 2012. Jones is sensitive to her culture's heritage of providing high-caloric, traditional soul food that creates challenges for food selection and preparation. Nutritionist and author Rovenia Brock (Dr Ro) shares Jones' concerns and states, "Our plates are killing us." Meanwhile, Jones continues to raise awareness about obesity increasing the risk for heart disease in black women by sharing her own journey of recovering from open-heart surgery just a few years ago on the dedicated African American Web site, http://www.thegrio.com.

 

One way to control portion sizes and effectively lose weight is to take advantage of the Supertracker online tool at http://www.ChooseMyPlate.gov. Features include the ability to customize a nutritional and physical activity plan plus count calories (https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.aspx). Finding customized weight loss plans sensitive to the challenges faced by many African American women is important. The nationally sponsored Weight Control Information Network (WIN) has long had a practical guide geared toward African American women called Energize Yourself and Your Family to make eating better and moving more of a family endeavor instead of a daunting individual task. Readers of this guide are also directed to National Institute of Health African American cookbooks as well as other exceptional WIN publications such as Just Enough for You: About Food Portions, updated in March 2012. Similar initiatives include the WIN publication "Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better." For more information on all of WIN's intiatives, visit their Web site at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov.

 

March is also an ideal time for healthcare providers to partner for prevention in our diverse communities. Consider accepting the challenge to become a wellness ambassador from the online guide "My Plate Community Toolkit." This resource, a collaborative effort from the US Department of Agriculture, ChooseMyPlate.gov, and First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign, is a great way to guide others to "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day." Let us work together to make healthy eating and nutritious meals a priority (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/MyPlate/MyPlateCommunityToolk).

 

Highlight on Education: The American Heart Association Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium

Each year, during the American Heart Association's (AHA) Scientific Sessions in November, nurse experts from across the country present the latest trends in cardiovascular care and the treatment of patients with acute cardiovascular conditions. This symposium, developed especially for acute care nurses, is hosted by the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing (CVSN). The 2-day symposium, during the 2012 Scientific Sessions, provided information on a variety of topics, including the following:

 

* Update on the prevention, diagnosis, and management of peripheral vascular disease

 

* Antithrombotic agents

 

* Sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease

 

* Mysterious dysrhythmias

 

* Palliative care

 

 

Of particular interest to those who work in cardiovascular disease prevention included content presented on the prevalence and screening of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and sleep apnea.

 

Dr Eileen Walsh, PhD, APN-BC, RN-BC, presented an "Update on Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Peripheral Vascular Disease." In her talk she discussed the prevalence and screening of patients with PAD. In the United States, there are 8 million Americans who have PAD, with 12% to 20% older than 60 years. Those most at risk for PAD include the following:

 

* Patients younger than 50 years with diabetes mellitus and 1 additional atherosclerotic risk factor

 

* Patients 50 to 69 years of age with diabetes and a history of smoking

 

* Patients older than 70 years

 

 

Nurses who work in cardiovascular risk prevention should be assessing leg symptoms in their patients especially during exertion. Asking questions to determine if claudication is present and assessing for claudication, including if it is intermittent, relieved with rest, or exertion or activity related, and questioning if there are other leg symptoms present, including the location and symptom description such as cramping, vice like, or other feelings, can help to clearly determine the severity. It is also important to assess rest pain by asking if there is pain present when at rest or when the legs are dangled, the location of the pain, and description of the pain, such as burning, tearing, sharp, and/or shooting pain. Finally, thorough examination of the feet and lower bilateral extremities is very important to detect early circulatory issues.

 

Dr Robin Trupp, PhD, ACNP-BC, presented "Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease: Who's at Risk, What Are the Consequences and Who Should be Screened." There are 40 million Americans who have some type of sleep disorder. Sleep apnea is a disorder of quality or quantity of respirations during sleep caused by hypoxia, hypercapnea, and arousals. There are 2 types of sleep apnea: central apnea, which is the absence of airflow and inspiratory effort, and obstructive apnea, where the person cannot breathe because of pharyngeal airway collapse. Dr Trupp discussed that, economically, there is a great healthcare burden as symptoms of sleep apnea are often misdiagnosed as gastroesoophageal reflux disease, depressive symptoms, poor glucose control in diabetes, and erectile dysfunction. Nurses can play a key role in detecting sleep apnea by asking 3 simple questions: (1) Do you snore?; (2) Have you been told that you quit breathing or have pauses in breathing during sleep?; and (3) Do you awaken from sleep choking, snorting, or gasping for breath? A simple open-ended question, "Tell me about your sleep," can assist in detecting early sleep issues. Sleep apnea has a direct effect on cardiovascular health and all nurses should be talking to and assessing their patients about sleep apnea.

 

These two content snapshots are just a taste of the rich information shared during the CVSN's Nursing Symposium. In addition, the AHA Scientific Sessions provide all the latest in clinical trial research. PCNA is proud to work together with AHA and the CVSN to promote the education of all nurses.